Pea hulling machine



April 25, 1939. KOMAK, 2,155,793

PEK'HULLING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1957 6' INVENTOR.

, m-WK ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PEA HULLING MACHINE Tarohachi Komaki, Claremont, Calif.

Application March 12,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of an efiicient machine for removing peas from their pods or hulls.

An object of this invention is to provide a pea hulling machine which is of simple'and inexpensive construction, including but few parts and consists of two hulling disks of novel construction and arrangement insuring the removal of the peas without bruising or crushing them.

A further object is to provide a machine of the character described which may be quickly and easily operated to shell large quantities of peas and effectively separate the hulls or shells from the peas. 7

Another object is to provide a machine-of the character described which is particularly efficient for commercial and home use alike by reason of the construction thereof including a rotary hulling disk opposed to which will yield upwardly from the lower disk and said two disks will effectively remove the peas and separate'the peas and pods without bruising and crushing said peas, said disks having ribs and grooves of such formation as to facilitate the aforesaid hulling action.

The invention is characterized by other advantages and features some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of my invention which is selected for illustration in the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the form shown in said drawing and described herewith, inasmuch as the invention as defined in the claims hereto appended may be embodied in various forms.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a part vertical section, part side elevation of one form of the machine of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fi 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the hulling disks, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the lower hulling disk on the plane of line l4 of Fig. 3.

One embodiment of the pea hulling machine of this invention comprises a base I supporting an upright shaft 2 having a pulley 3 driven by a belt 4 from a suitable prime mover not shown.

Keyed to the shaft 2 is a horizontal circular hulling disk 5 above and opposed to which is a similar but stationary disk 6. The pods are fed between disks 5 and 6, and the action of 1937, Serial No. 130,455 (01. 130-30) said disks causes the .peas to be removed from the pods as will be hereinafter explained.

The upper stationary disk is mounted so as to yield. upwardly under spring tension when said two disks cooperate to hull the peas. As shown the upper disk carries a hopper on its upper sideand said hopper has threesupporting arms 8 depending therefrom; said arms having their lower ends opposed to spring sockets 9 on the base. Within said sockets are compression springs 10 which fit upon projections II on the arms 8 and thereby yieldably support said arms and the disk 6 andhopper 1. Adjusting means [2 provides for. regulating the tension of the springs l0. The lower ends of arms 8 engage between. lugs l I to prevent turning of the upper structure. I

The hopper l is adapted to discharge the pods of peas through an opening l3 in the upper disk 6 into the space between disks 5 and 6, and a feed screw I4 on the shaft 2 extends through said. opening and into the hopper and forces the pods between said disks.

The shaft I extends into a bearing member I5 supported by a spider IS in the upper end of the hopper, there being a compression spring l1 between the upper end of the shaft and said bearing whereby the shaft yieldably supports the upper structure includingthe disk 6 and hopper 1. Adjusting means l8 provides for regulating the tension of the spring H.

An annular perforated tray I9 is provided on the outer edge ofthe rotary disk 5 and is rotatably supported at its outer edge upon a shoulder of a wall member 2| fixed to the arms 8.

The sides of the hopper have bafiie plates 22 hinged thereto as at 23 said plates being movable against the action of springs 24 which connect the outer ends of the plates with the wall member 2|. The baifies act to cause the hulls or pods to collect behind them and also cause said hulls or pods to discharge out through openings 25 in the wall member 2|, while the peas drop through the perforation in the tray l9.

As here provided the disks 5 and 6 have like opposed faces provided with ribs 26 defining between them the grooves 21. These ribs extend at various angles to one another in an irregular pattern but in all instances extend to the outer margins of the disks .and define the grooves 21 which serve as channels for the peas to roll from between the two disks.

The disk 5 has its upper side of convex form and this convex side nests into the concave lower side of disk 6. This provides the grooves 21 with a downward and outward indication in the lower disk 5 whereby the peas and pods will gravitate from between said disks onto the perforated pan [9.

In operation, peas in their pods are placed in the hopper I and will gravitate therefrom, aided by the screw [4, through opening I3 into the space between the disks 5 and 6. As the disk 6 and hopper are yieldingly supported by the springs I and 11 it is seen that the weight of the upper disk and parts thereon will rest lightly on the lower disk and by regulating said springs the upper disk 6 may be supported clear of contact with the lower disk 5.

As the lower disk rotates the pods of peas will be worked between the two disks and the ribs 26 will tend to tear or squeeze the pods open and force the peas into the grooves 11. Due to the inclination of the upper face of the disk 5 the peas and pods will gravitate onto the perforated tray 19 which is an extension of and rotates with disk 5; The perforations will allow the peas to fall through into suitable containers, not shown, whereas the hulls will be gathered in piles by the bafiie plates 22 and may be readily removed by hand although some of them will fall through openings 25.

The weight of the upper disk 5 and parts supported thereby and attached thereto is effective in the pod crushing or opening action during rotation of the disk 5 and this upper structure may yield. It is seen that the peas will be quickly and effectively hulled without damage to the peas. It is noted that the ribs 26 are quite narrow and are spaced Well apart and that the grooves 21 are quite deep, whereby to prevent crushing of the peas while at the same time causing the pods or hulls to be forced open or crushed sufficiently to release the peas thereon. V

While I have shown the machine as power driven it must be understood that it may be hand operated if desired. Furthermore the machine may be operated by an electric motor or with any other prime mover as desired.

I claim:

1. A pea hulling machine comprising a base, an upright rotary shaft thereon, a rotary annular hulling disk fixed to said shaft, a hopper, means engaged with said shaft and said base for yieldably supporting the hopper over said disk, a stationary hulling disk carried by said hopper and lying close to and over said rotary disk, an annular perforated marginal portion on said rotary disk extending outwardly beyond the periphery of said upper disk, said upper disk having an opening through which pods of peas are fed between said disks, an annular perforated member carried by said hopper and forming with said marginal portion an annular tray for receiving pods and peas from between said disks, bafiie plates hinged to said hopper and lying over said marginal portion of the lower disk, and springs yieldably holding the free end of said plates against said annular member.

2. A pea hulling machine comprising a base, an upright rotary shaft supported thereby, a rotary hulling disk fixed on and for rotation with said shaft, said shaft extending above said disk, a hopper, a bearing carried by said hopper and receiving the upper end of said shaft, a spring interposed between said bearing and shaft for yieldably supporting the hopper on said shaft, another disk fixed to said hopper and supported thereby above the first named disk and having an opening through which pods of peas are fed between said disks, arms fixed to and depending from said hopper, and springs engaged under compression between said arms and said base for yieldably supporting the hopper on the base.

3. A pea hulling machine comprising a base, an upright rotary shaft sup-ported thereby, a rotary hulling disk fixed on and for rotation with said shaft, said shaft extending above said disk, a hopper, a bearing carried by said hopper and receiving the upper end of said shaft, a spring interposed between said bearing and shaft for yieldably supporting the hopper on said shaft, another disk fixed to said hopper and supported thereby above the first named disk and having.

an opening through which pods of peas are fed between said disks, arms fixed to and depending from said hopper, springs engaged under compression between said arms and said base for yieldably supporting the hopper on the base, and

perforated members carried by said arms and said rotary disk for forming an annular tray for receiving the pods and peas passing from between saiddisks.

TAROHACHI KOMAKI. l0 

